US3226953A - Two-feed knitting machine - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 4, 1966 D. 5. GOOD ETAL TWO-FEED KNITTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 4, 1964 INvENToRs bAwb 5. Goob and bAwEL H. Goon MM www ATTORNEYS United States Patent M 3,226,953 TWO-FEED KNITTING MACHINE David S. Good, Rte. 3, Box 425C, and Daniel H. Good, 2118 9th Ave. NE, both of Hickory, N.C. Filed Aug. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 387,472 3 Claims. (Cl. 6642) This invention relates to improvements in the patterning possibilities of a circular hosiery knitting machine of the type adapted to knit ladies seamless sheer hosiery and having a main knitting station and an auxiliary knitting station that is usually activated during the knitting of the leg to permit the knitting of two courses of plain stitches with each rotation of the needle cylinder.

There are many so-called low cylinder two-feed knitting machines currently in use and while they operate efiiciently to produce plain knit hosiery at a fairly high rate of speed, they cannot produce a pattern of plain stitches and tucks because they do not have a pattern selecting mechanism. In many instances, it is desirable to produce ladies hosiery having a mesh pattern that is formed by selectively knitting and tucking in alternate courses while knitting plain stitch loops in the intervening courses. Although so-called high cylinder hosiery knitting machines are currently available that have selecting jacks positioned in the slots of the cylinder beneath the needles and various types of selecting mechanisms which may be operated to selectively raise the needles to knit or tuck position for producing ladies hosiery with a mesh pattern, the selecting mechanism of these high cylinder machines are of a relatively complex nature and cannot be economically added to a low cylinder circular knitting machine. Also, the high cylinder knitting machines are more expensive than the low cylinder knitting machines.

With the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a needle selecting pattern mechanism which can be easily and economically applied to existing low cylinder two-feed hosiery knitting machines so that they can produce a mesh-type fabric in selected portions of the hosiery.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a needle selecting pattern mechanism of the type described that is associated with the auxiliary knitting station and that may be made operative at times to selectively position the needles to knit and tuck at the auxiliary knitting station and made inoperative at other times to position all of the needles to knit at the auxiliary knitting station while permitting all of the needles to knit plain stitches at the main knitting station.

It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide a needle selecting pattern mechanism of the type described which includes a rotatable pattern wheel supported adjacent the needle cylinder and with its rotational axis positioned at right angles to the rotational axis of the needle cylinder, the pattern wheel having peripheral needle butt engaging teeth and needle butt engaging slots between the teeth, the peripheral teeth being adapted to raise certain needles to clearing or shed level in advance of the auxiliary stitch cam and the slots permitting the remaining needle butts to enter the auxiliary knitting station at tucking level. In order to vary the needles which form the tucks in succeeding revolutions of the needle cylinder and produce a mesh fabric having a stepped pattern of tucks, the spacing and number of peripheral needle butt engaging teeth and needle butt engaging slots must have an appropriate relationship with the spacing and total number of needles in the cylinder to produce the desired repeated tuck stitch pattern sequence.

It is another specific object of the. present invention to provide a needle selecting pattern mechanism of the 3,226,953 Patented Jan. 4, 1966 type described wherein the peripheral needle butt engaging teeth of the rotatable pattern Wheel have a Width sufficient to engage a predetermined number of needle butts and a stem of a lesser width than the butt engaging surface and with the slots being inclined away from the direction of rotation of the pattern wheel so that the needle butts that do not engage the peripheral teeth may easily enter the slots and impart steady rotation to the pattern wheel Without being raised above the tucking level.

It is a further specific object of the present invention to provide a needle selecting pattern mechanism of the type described wherein the rotatable pattern wheel is supported adjacent the needle cylinder for movement between a raised operative position and a lowered inoperative position, the pattern Wheel also being supported for easy adjustment toward and away from the needle cylinder as well as for vertical adjustment relative thereto.

Some of the objects of the invention. having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the upper portion of a low cylinder circular hosiery knitting machine with the pattern selecting means of the present invention applied thereto;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional plan view taken substantially along the line 2-2 in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a somewhat schematic fragmentary developed view of the needle cams adjacent the main and auxiliary knitting stations and looking outwardly from inside the needle cylinder, the path of travel of the needle butts being shown in dash-dot lines when all of the needles are forming plain stitches at both the main and auxiliary knitting stations;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 but showing the pattern wheel raised to an operative position in advance of the auxiliary stitch cam to selectively raise certain needle butts to clearing or shed level while permitting all the other needle butts to remain at tuck level;

FIGURE 5 is a greatly enlarged elevational view of one preferred type of pattern wheel and illustrating the manner in which certain needle butts engage and are raised by the peripheral teeth while all other needle butts engage the slots therebetween to impart rotation to the wheel; and

FIGURE 6 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 6--6 in FIGURE 4 and illustrating the manner in which the pattern wheel bell crank is supported for vertical and radial adjustment relative to the needle cylinder.

The hosiery knitting machine shown in the drawings is usually referred to as a low cylinder machine and is generally of the type shown in R. W. Scott Patent No. 1,282,958, issued October 29, 1918, to which reference may be made for those details not disclosed herein. However, in the knitting machine shown in this application, an auxiliary knittingstation has been added so that certain portions of the hose, such as the leg and circularly knit portion of the foot, may be knit in a two feed manner. In these certain portions of the hose, two courses are formed with each rotation of the needle cylinder and the auxiliary knitting station may be removed from action to enable other portions of the hosiery, such as the heel and toe pockets, to be knit in a single-feed manner and at the main knitting station only. The addition of an auxiliary knitting station to a low cylinder hosiery knitting machine is fully disclosed in the H. R- Branson Patent No. 3,111,826, issued November 26, 1963.

The knitting machine is provided with a needle cylinder (FIGURE 1) which is supported for rotation and reciprocation in the bed plate 11 in the usual man ner. The needle cylinder 10 is provided with vertical slots in which cylinder needles, indicated broadly at N in FIGURE 3 and jacks J are positioned for vertical movement. The jacks J are provided to raise alternate needles during the make-up courses at the top of the hose and during the welt transferring operation, in a conventional manner, not shown.

The knitting machine is also provided with the usual sinker cap 12 (FIGURE 1) which is supported on a sinker bed 13. The sinker bed 13 is attached to the upper end of the needle cylinder 10 in a conventional manner to support radially movable sinkers, not shown, that cooperate with the needles to form stitches as the yarn is fed to the needles.

A latch ring 14 is pivotally supported at its rear end on the supper end of a pivot post 15, the lower end of which is suitably secured on the bed plate 11. The front end of the latch ring 14 is releasably supported on the upper end of a sinker cap stop post 16, the lower end of which is fixed on the bed plate 11. The post 16 also normally supports a widening pick in a medial portion thereof in the usual manner, not shown.

The usual dial, not shown, is supported inside of the latch ring 14 and is provided with radially movable transfer hooks which are used to make the turned welt of a ladies stocking in a conventional manner. The dial and transfer hooks are supported inside of the latch ring 14 by a bracket 18 and rotated by means of driving gears 19, indicated in phantom lines in FIGURE 1.

The latch ring 14 is provided with a main yarn throat opening having a plurality of main yarn feeding fingers, only one of which is shown at 20 in FIGURE 1. The fingers 20 are supported for movement into and out of yarn feeding position and above the main knitting cams, to be later described. The main yarn feed fingers 29 are conventionally moved into and out of yarn feeding position by thrust rods 21, the lower ends of which are supported on a main pattern drum 22. The pattern drum 22 is rotated in a conventional manner under control of the pattern chain and is provided with suitable cams for at times raising the thrust rods 21 to actuate the yarn feed fingers 2%, in the usual manner.

Auxiliary yarn feeding fingers 24 (FIGURE 1) are suitably supported on the latch ring 14 for movement into and out of yarn feeding position at the auxiliary knitting station, to be presently described, by suitable levers 25. The levers 25 are pivotally supported on the latch ring 14 and controlled by thrust rods 26 and cams on the main pattern drum 22.

As shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the machine is provided with a main knitting station broadly indicated at M and an auxiliary knitting station broadly indicated at A. The main knitting station M includes a pair of spaced apart combination clearing and stitch cams 3t and 31, a top center cam 32, and a lower center cam 33. The cams 30-33 are suitably supported so that their inner surfaces are positioned closely adjacent the needle cylinder. As the cylinder moves, the butts of the needles N are first raised to clearing or shed level and then lowered to stitch drawing level with movement of the needle cylinder in either direction.

With the needle cylinder rotating in the usual running direction, that is, in a counterclockwise direction so that the needle butts move from right to left in FIGURES 3 and 4, they first pass over the right-hand or reverse stitch cam 30 and are raised to clearing or shed level. The hooks of the needles then pick up the yarn from the main yarn feed fingers 20 as they are lowered by the top center cam 32 to a level where they engage the left-hand or running stitch cam 31 and are drawn downwardly to stitch drawing level as they pass beneath the stitch cam 31.

As the needles leave the stitch cam 31, they are raised by an end cam 35 which is suitably supported on the bed plate 11 in a conventional manner. Another end cam 36 is also provided adjacent the stitch cam 30 for raising the butts of the needles when the direction of the needle cylinder is reversed and the needles are lowered to pass below the stitch cam 30. Suitable landing earns 37 and 38 are positioned beneath. the respective stitch cams 3&1, 31 and mounted for vertical adjustment with the stitch cams. A fill-in or ring cam 40 extends around the outer periphery of the needle cylinder and its inner surface is flush with the inner surface of the end cams 35, 36 and the landing cams 37, 38.

At the auxiliary knitting station A, an auxiliary clearing cam 44 (FIGURE 3) is positioned below the auxiliary feed fingers 24 and is supported for radial movement relative to the needle cylinder in a cam block 45 (FIGURE 2). The cam block 45 is suitably secured to the upper surface of the bed plate 11 and contains suitable spring means, not shown, for normally urging the auxiliary clearing cam 44 inwardly to an operative position, as shown in solid lines in FIGURE 3. One end of a bell crank 47 (FIGURE 2) is suitably connected to the stem portion of the clearing cam 44 and the other end of the bell crank #37 is suitably connected, as by a connecting link 48, to the upper end of a bell crank 50. The lower leg of the bell crank 50 is suitably connected to a thrust rod, not shown, the lower end of which is adapted to at times be engaged by suitable cams on the main pattern drum 22 so that the bell crank 47 is moved in a clockwise direction in FIGURE 2 to move the auxiliary clearing cam 44 outwardly to the inoperative position shown.

The auxiliary knitting station A also includes auxiliary stitch cam 54 (FIGURE 3) which is supported for radial movement in the cam block 45 and is normally urged to an innermost operative position by suitable spring means in the cam block 45, not shown. The auxiliary stitch cam 54 can be at times moved outwardly to an inoperative position by a bell crank 55 (FIGURE 2). Only the inner end of the bell crank 55 is shown in FIGURE 2 and the outer end is controlled by means of suitable linkage to the pattern drum 22. A landing cam 56 is suitably supported for radial movement with the auxiliary stitch cam 54 in the cam block 45.

It will be noted in FIGURE 3 that the auxiliary clearing cam 44 is adapted to raise the needle butts to the same level as the stitch cam 30 so that all needle butts are raised to shed level as the needles pick up the yarn from the auxiliary yarn feed fingers 24 in advance of the auxiliary stitch cam 54. The butts of the needles then engage the auxiliary stitch cam 54 and are lowered to stitch drawing level thereby. When the cams are positioned as shown in FIGURE 3, all of the needle butts pass over stitch cam 30 and are raised to shed level along pathway S and they then pass beneath stitch cam 31 and are lowered to stitch drawing level to form plain stitch loops on all of the needles at the main knitting station M. All needle butts are again raised to shed level S by the auxiliary clearing cam 44 and then lowered to stitch drawing level by the auxiliary stitch cam 54 to form plain stitch loops in all the needles at the auxiliary knitting station A. Thus, two courses of plain stitch loops are formed with each rotation of the needle cylinder when the cams are positioned as shown in solid lines in FIG- URE 3. When it is desired to knit portions of the hose in a single feed manner, it is merely necessary to move the auxiliary yarn feed fingers 24, the auxiliary clearing cam 44 and the auxiliary stitch cam 54' to inoperative positions so that the needles pass by the auxiliary knitting station A without forming any stitch loops.

The portions of the knitting machine heretofore described may be found on many existing low cylinder circular hosiery knitting machines and the needle selecting pattern mechanism of the present invention may be easily applied to this type of machine, in the manner to be presently described. However, it is to be understood that the pattern selecting means of the present invention may also be employed with other types of hosiery knitting machines which do not have needle selecting means.

The pattern selecting means of the present invention includes a pattern wheel broadly indicated at P which is supported for free rotation on the inner end of a stud 6i), the outer end of which is fixed in one end of a bell crank 62. The medial portion of the bell crank 62 is pivotally supported on the inner end of a horizontal pivot shaft 63 (FIGURE 6) having an enlarged head portion at its inner end. The bell crank 62 is held against the enlarged head portion by a collar 64 that is secured in position on the shaft 63 by a set screw 64a (FIGURE 6). The outer end of the horizontally disposed pivot shaft 63 penetrates the upper portion of a vertically disposed support post 65. A set screw 66 is threadably supported in the upper end of th e support post 65 and its lower end is adapted to lockingly engage the pivot shaft 63. Thus, the shaft 63 is beeasily adjusted by vertical adjustment of the post 65 to thereby accurately adjust the vertical position of the pattern wheel P The end of the bell crank 62, opposite the pattern wheel "P has one end of a connector stud 72 (FIGURE 2) thread'ably supported therein and one end of a control link 73 penetratesthe connector stud 72. A collar 74 is suit- 'ably connected to the end portion of the control link 73 adjacent the connector post 72. The other end of the control link 72 is suitably connected to a connector stud 75 in the upper end of one leg of a bell crank 76, the lower leg of'which is suitably connected tothe upper end 'of a thrust rod 78 (FIGURE 1). The lower end of the icontrol 'rod 78 is adapted toat times engage and ride on 'the'periphery of the main pattern drum 22 so that the pattern wheel P is then maintained in a lowermost inoperative position, as shown in FIGURE 3. In order to allow the pattern wheel P to be maintained in the lowermost inoperative position, the end cam 35 and its sup port, ring is preferably cut out as at 80 (FIGURE 3) to providea" space into which the pattern wheel P may be moved,'in the inoperative position.

It will be noted in FIGURE 3 that when the pattern wheelP is in the inoperative lowered position, it is positioned directly beneath the auxiliary clearing cam 44. Suitable cams, such as that indicated at 81 in FIGURE 1, are provided on the main'pattern drum to at times engage and raise the thrust rod 78 to move the pattern wheel P from the lowered inoperative position shown in FIGURE 3 to the raised operative position shown in FIGURE 4, where it occupies substantially the same position previously occupied by the auxiliary clearing cam 44.

The pattern wheel P (FIGURE 5) is provided with a plurality of peripheral needle butt engaging teeth t and needle butt engaging slots s between the teeth. The widths of the teeth t and the slots s may be varied so that the pattern wheel P may raise any predetermined number of needle butts to the shed or clearing level indicated at S in FIGURE 5, while all other needle butts will engage the slots s and impart rotation to the pattern wheel P while they remain at the tuck or non-shed level, indicated at T in FIGURE 5. Due to the close spacing of the needle butts in a ladies seamless hosiery knitting machine (usually having 400 or more needles), the slots s must be cut at the proper angle and be properly shaped so that the needle butts will impart steady rotation to the pattern wheel P and so that they will not be raised by engagement with the slots.

In the particular pattern wheel shown in FIGURE 5, pairs of adjacent needle butts are raised to the shed level by each tooth t while intervening single needle butts engage each slot s to impart rotation to the pattern wheel P. This pattern wheel P has 17 slots s and 17 teeth I so that with each rotation 51 needle butts engage the pattern wheel. Thus, the pattern wheel makes almost four revolutions with each revolution of the needle cylinder 10. Therefore, the needles which remain at the lower level T and form tuck stitches in a first revolution of the needle cylinder then knit during the next two succeeding revolutions while tuck stitches are successively formed on the two needles which were raised to shed level in the first revolution. This pattern is repeated with every three revolutions of the needle cylinder and the tuck stitches are staggered walewise with successive revolutions of the needle cylinder to produce a stepped pattern of tuck stitches when the pattern wheel is in operative position.

As shown in FIGURE 5, each of the teeth t extend outwardly from the pattern wheel at an angle inclined away from the direction of rotation of the pattern wheel P. Each of the teeth It includes an outer'needle butt engaging surface having a width sufiicient to engage a pair of adjacent needle butts and a stern of lesser width than the needle butt engaging surface 90. The stem of each tooth t has a trailing side 91 and a leading side formed by an inner portion 92 and an outer portion 93. As shown in FIGURE 5, the trailing side 91 is disposed at an acute angle relative to a radial line 94 extending from the rotational axis of the pattern wheel P and outwardly through the junction of the needle butt engaging surface 90 with the trailing side 91. It will be noted that the trailing side 91 is disposed in advance of the radial line 94, relative to the direction of rotation. of the pattern wheel P.

The inner portion 92 of the leading side is parallel to the trailing side till of the tooth I while the outer portion 93 of the leading side is disposed at an acute angle relative to a radial line Q5 extending from the rotational axis of the pattern wheel P and outwardly through the junction of the needle butt engaging surface 90 with the outer portion 93. The outer portion 93 of the leading side is disposed at an opposite angle from the angle at which the trailing side 91 is disposed and it will be noted in FIG- URE 5 that the radial line 95 is disposed in advance of the outer portion 93, relative to the direction of rotation of the pattern wheel P. Thus, the slots s are defined between the traiiing and leading sides of adjacent teeth t and are shaped to engage the needle butts in such a manner that several needle butts are always in engagement with spaced portions of thepattern wheel P to prevent in regular rotation.

The versatility of a two-feed low cylinder circular knitting machine is greatly increased by the needle selecting pattern mechanism of the present invention. The machine can be used to knit in a single feed manner by rendering all of the cams at the auxiliary knitting station inoperative. The machine can also be used to knit in a two-feed manner while forming plain stitch loops at both the main and auxiliary knitting stations, as shown in FIGURE 3, by moving the pattern wheel P to inoperative position while maintaining the auxiliary stitch cam 54 and auxiliary clearing cam 44 in operative position. The machine can also be used to knit a mesh fabric in a twofeed manner while forming a plain course at the main knitting station M and a course of plain and tuck loops at the auxiliary knitting station A, as shown in FIGURE 4, by moving the pattern wheel P into operative position to take the place of the auxiliary clearing cam 44.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes 7 of limitation, the scope of the invention being define in the claims.

We claim:

1. In a two-feed circular hosiery knitting machine having a needle cylinder supported for rotary and reciprocatory movement and needles disposed for vertical movement therein, said needles having butts projecting outwardly from the periphery of the cylinder, a main knitting station having knitting cams adapted to engage and lowor said needle butts to stitch drawing level with movement of the needle cylinder in either direction, an auxiliary knitting station immediately following said main knitting station and including an auxiliary stitch cam supported for radal movement between operative and inoperative positions, and an auxiliary clearing cam supported adjacent said auxiliary stitch cam for radial movement between operative and inoperative positions; the combination therewith of pattern selecting means operatively associate-d with said auxiliary knitting station and comprising (1) a pattern wheel supported for free rotation adjacent said needle cylinder and in advance of said auxiliary stitch cam, said pattern wheel having peripheral teeth adapted to engage and raise certain needle butts to shed level and slots between said teeth adapted to be engaged by the remaining needle butts which in turn impart rotation to the pattern wheel and permit said remaining needle butts to remain at tuck level,

(2) means positioned between said main and auxiliary knitting stations for supporting said pattern wheel for vertical movement between a lowered inoperative position beneath said auxiliary clearing cam with said peripheral teeth out of engagement with said needle butts and a raised operative position with said peripheral teeth in engagement with said needle butts, and

(3) pattern control means operatively associated with said auxiliary stitch cam, said auxiliary clearing cam and said pattern wheel and being operative to selectively move said auxiliary stitch cam, said auxiliary clearing cam and said pattern wheel to inoperative positions and knit plain stitches at said main knitting station during reciprocation of said needle cylinder; move said auxiliary stitch cam and said auxiliary clearing cam to operative positions and knit plain stitches at said auxiliary knitting station while also knitting plain stitches at said rnain knitting station; and move said auxiliary stitch cam and said pattern wheel to operative positions and knit a predetermined pattern of plain stitches and tucks at said auxiliary knitting station while knitting plain stitches at said main knitting station.

2. In a two-feed circular hosiery knitting machine according to claim 1 wherein said pattern wheel support means includes (1) a vertical support post threadably supported for vertical adjustment at its lower end in said bed plate, (2) a horizontal pivot shaft supported at one end for longitudinal adjustment in the upper portion of said vertical support post, the other end of said horizon tal pivot shaft extending inwardly toward said'needle cylinder, (3) a bell crank pivotally supported at a medial portion on said other end of said horizontal pivot shaft, (4) means at one end of said bell crank for rotatably supporting said pattern wheel thereon, and l (5) operating linkage connected at one end to the other end of said bell crank for at times raising said one end of said bell crank and said pattern wheel to the operative position for engagement with the needle butts and for at other times lowering said pattern wheel to the inoperative position below the level of the needle butts. 3. in a two-feed circular hosiery knitting machine according to claim 1 wherein said pattern wheel includes (1) peripheral needle butt engaging teeth adapted to engage and raise certain needle butts to shed level, each of said teeth including an outer needle butt engaging surface having a width sufiicient to engage a predetermined number of needle butts and a stern of a lesser width than said butt engaging surface, said stein having leading and trailing sides relative to the rotational direction of said pattern wheel, said trailing side being disposed at an acute angle relative to a radial line extending from the junction of said needle butt engaging surface with said trailing side, said trailing side being disposed in advance of said radial line, said leading side including an inner portion and an outer portion, said inner portion being disposed parallel to said trailing side of said tooth and said outer portion being disposed at an acute angle relative to a radial line extending from the junction of said needle butt engaging surface with said outer portion, said radial line being disposed in advance of said outer portion, and (2) needle butt engaging slots defined between said trailing and leading sides of adjacent butt engaging teeth, said slots being adapted to be engaged by the remaining butts which in turn impart rotation to said pattern wheel and permit said remaining needel butts to remain at tuck level.

References tCited by the Examiner Branson 6642 DONALD \V. PARKER, Primary Examiner.

RUSSELL C. MADER, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN A TWO-FEED CIRCULAR HOSIERY KNITTING MACHINE HAVING A NEEDLE CYLINDER SUPPORTED FOR ROTARY AND RECIPROCATORY MOVEMENT AND NEEDLES DISPOSED FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT THEREIN, SAID NEEDLES HAVING BUTTS PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM THE PERIPHERY OF THE CYLINDER, A MAIN KNITTING STATION HAVING KNITTING CAMS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AND LOWER SAID NEEDLE BUTTS TO STITCH DRAWING LEVEL WITH MOVEMENT OF THE NEEDLE CYLINDER IN EITHER DIRECTION, AN AUXILIARY KNITTING STATION IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING SAID MAIN KNITTING STATION AND INCLUDING AN AUXILIARY STITCH CAM SUPPORTED FOR RADAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN OPERATIVE AND INOPERATIVE POSITIONS, AND AN AUXILIARY CLEARING CAM SUPPORTED ADJACENT SAID AUXILIARY STITCH CAM FOR RADIAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN OPERATIVE AND INOPERATIVE POSITIONS; THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF PATTERN SELECTING MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID AUXILIARY KNITTING STATION AND COMPRISING (1) A PATTERN WHEEL SUPPORTED FOR FREE ROTATION ADJACENT SAID NEEDLE CYLINDER AND IN ADVANCE OF SAID AUXILIARY STITCH CAM, SAID PATTERN WHEEL HAVING PERIPHERAL TEETH ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AND RAISE CERTAIN NEEDLE BUTTS TO SHED LEVEL AND SLOTS BETWEEN SAID TEETH ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED BY THE REMAINING NEEDLE BUTTS WHICH IN TURN IMPART ROTATION TO THE PATTERN WHEEL AND PERMIT SAID REMAINING NEEDLE BUTTS TO REMAIN AT TUCK LEVEL, (2) MEANS POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID MAIN AND AUXILIARY KNITTING STATIONS FOR SUPPORTING SAID PATTERN WHEEL FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN A LOWERED INOPERATIVE POSITION BENEATH SAID AUXILIARY CLEARING CAM WITH SAID PERIPHERAL TEETH OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID NEEDLE BUTTS AND A RAISED OPERATIVE POSITION WITH SAID PERIPHERAL TEETH IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID NEEDLE BUTTS, AND (3) PATTERN CONTROL MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID AUXILIARY STITCH CAM, SAID AUXILIARY CLEARING CAM AND SAID PATTERN WHEEL AND BEING OPERATIVE TO SELECTIVELY MOVE AND AUXILIARY STITCH CAM, SAID AUXILIARY CLEARNG CAM AND SAID PATTERN WHEEL TO INOPERATIVE POSITIONS AND KNIT PLAIN STITCHES AT SAID MAIN KNITTING STATION DURING RECIPROCATION OF SAID NEEDLE CYLINDER; MOVE SAID AUXILIARY STITCH CAM AND SAID AUXILIARY CLEARING CAM TO OPERATIVE POSITIONS AND KNIT PLAIN STITCHES AT SAID AUXILIARY KNITTING STATION WHILE ALSO KNITTING PLAIN STITCHES AT SAID MAIN KNITTING STATION; AND MOVE SAID AUXILIARY STITCH CAM AND SAID PATTERN WHEEL TO OPERATIVE POSITIONS AND KNIT A PREDETERMINED PATTERN OF PLAIN STITCHES AND TUCKS AT SAID AUXILIARY KNITTING STATION WHILE KNITTING PLAIN STITCHES AT SAID MAIN KNITTING STATION.

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